The outfit of a football player consists of several elements, each of which is extremely important. Basic are a T-shirt, underpants and leggings;
sneakers. But there is another element that did not appear immediately, but after which it became mandatory - these are football shields. They have their own history and development process, which led them to their current form.
How did the first guards come about?
Initially, the players played, not really worrying about the risk of damage. The goalkeepers did not have gloves, and field players had no leg protection. Naturally, this negatively affected how long players could spend on the field without getting injured. This continued until one of the English football players put on the first football shields on their lower legs - they were much larger than those that we used to see now, they looked out of place, so he was laughed at. However, everyone had to quiet down when this footballer received a blow to the leg, which fell on the visor, and continued the match without any problems. Since then, players around the world began to use football shields, they were made a mandatory piece of equipment, which significantly reduced the risk of injury to players.
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Over time, this item of equipment began to change
in order to optimize. The first football shields were made of metal, wood and leather, and were tied to the foot with leather straps. This was terribly inconvenient, especially since the shields were extremely heavy, which greatly reduced the speed and maneuverability of the players. Many right in the middle of the game tore off disturbing equipment, so I had to radically revise the approach to creating shields. They were reduced in size, made easier, replaced the materials from which they were made. Over time, the guards acquired the form that we see today on
football fields. These are lightweight equipment items made from special materials absorbing kinetic energy. As it becomes clear, the choice was not made in favor of maximum protection, but in favor of comfort. The fact is that it is impossible to make a shield that can withstand a
strong blow, and at the same time it will have light weight and will not interfere with the player’s movements. Therefore, the scales leaned towards comfort.
Modern guards and their varieties
Now shields are used everywhere, and players are no longer allowed to play without them under any pretext. They conveniently hide under the leggings and do not constrain movements, so no one seeks to disrupt them during the match. Naturally, they protect only from light blows, so do not expect that with their help you will be provided with protection against a fracture. But with all the diversity, the question arises - how to choose the football shields? Nike, Adidas, Puma, Ambro and other world-famous manufacturers of sports equipment release their models, and you can choose among them, relying on your preferences. The fact is that the shields differ only in some aspects. First of all, it is worth choosing whether you want to protect not only the front of the lower leg, but also the Achilles tendon. There is a kind of shields that protect the leg and back, but they are slightly less comfortable. Shields are also divided into solid and with inserts. The first type is for professionals, they are a bit heavier and absorb shock very well. The second type is often used by young or unprofessional footballers. Therefore, if you intend to purchase a set of equipment - do not forget the football shields. The price for them is not so high, on average, from 300 to 800 rubles, and playing with them is much more pleasant and safer.